Merry Christmas Eve everyone! I know I’m not the only one out there who always leave at least one gift or two to the very last possible second – aka the day before Christmas. Here is a gift guide I curated for FILLER Magazine‘s winter issue, highlighting all of the best gifts to give from Toronto this year. Hopefully, it will help give you some direction, or at least inspire you, on your last minute shopping hunt. Happy holidays!

You don’t have to have an infant on your list to gift one of Holt Renfrew‘s Missoni designed charitable stuffed animals. The sale of each elephant and bear (both dressed in the iconic Missoni zig zag print head-to-toe) will help Holt Renfrew raise their target goal of $100,000, to donate to children and families throughOphanAid. With a cause so worthy, it would be impossible for anyone on your list not to love both adorable creatures!

Every woman needs a pair of blue suede shoes in her life, not to mention, a good pair of statement earrings. The rich colours of these pieces will be impossible to lose in a closet. The earrings, made locally by Blackbird, are gems that won’t be seen on everyone else, the same goes for this vintage brass mesh chocker by Dolorous, while the classic design of these DV by Dolce Vita flats from eLUXE make them an instant staple in any wardrobe.

For the woman who loves glamour, there’s no better gift to give this year than one of Linda Lundström‘s coveted hand-crafted coyote fur shawl collars. Gorgeous in look and feel, this a one-of-a-kind piece of clothing is guaranteed to be passed down through the generations.

Tea is the new coffee. If you don’t believe us, just take a look at how many new tea shops have opened in your own city over the past couple of years. To spoil the tea lover on your list, we recommend a selection from Sloane Fine Tea Merchants, the ornate packaging (worth keeping even after empty of fragrant leaves) and unique flavours are sure to please.

Everyone likes to start the New Year with fresh basics and stationary, and what better way than surrounding yourself with the positive mantras of healer, teacher and artist Ria Ray — via bracelets, journals and limited-edition  Shared‘s T-shirts — to get those calming happy vibes flowing for 2013.

The Drake General Store is essentially a one stop shop for the majority of your holiday shopping. At least, it always is for us. It doesn’t hurt that they’ve now got three locations around Toronto, plus an online shop for faraway admirers — talk about convenience! Goodies on display include Mast Brothers chocolate bars to gift officemates, pizza and hamburger ornaments for fast food lovers, cozy wool blankets by the MacAusland label for that someone special you want to keep warm (perhaps while wearing a Forget Me Knot ring also given by you), a Siracha Cookbook for spice-fanatics, and even a tea cup with an owl hiding inside. There really is something for everyone in your life here, particularly those with a touch of quirk to their personality .

Ideal for the friskier friend — one with as much passion for pillows, as for pillow talk. These embroidered works by Toronto artist, Melody Crauze, feature multiple positions and partners, to excite every kind of lover.

Lingerie is right up there with perfume and jewellery. What’s not easy is finding a good option that’s both beautiful and made locally. Fortnight Lingerie solves both problems with their luxe retro-style intimates conceptualized and tailored from their downtown Parkdale studio.

Getting socks at Christmas gets a bad rap sometimes, but really, it saves you from having to buy them all year, which is the best part about them. Add these to your list, or, if you’re a serial sock-giver, change things up with these colourful (but still warm) versions from Roots Canada.

There’s no other time of year when an overdose of metallic is acceptable. We say, indulge in it, and encourage it while you can. The Editor’s Clutch by Ela Handbags is, you guessed it, a fashion editor’s favourite, and sure to be loved just as much by any fashionable-clutch-bag-enthusiast in your life.

Not everyone is as enthusiastic about summer camp nostalgia as we are, but there can be no denying the undying trend of the friendship bracelet. It’s unlikely that any one, of any age, would turn their nose up to a delicate Sevilla Chord Bracelet version by JdJ. Lucky gals will also find matching Sevilla Braid Rings and Mini Sevilla Earrings in their stockings this holiday season.

Items that every man needs in his life: an ORDNING&REDA (The Bay’s store-within-a-store mod office geeks can’t live without) iPad case, so he can play Angry Birds on the go without a scratch; a  journal from the Swedish brand to keep him organized, as per his New Year’s resolution; a flask…for obvious reasons, and a crew neck sweatshirt to unwind in; all the more better when the latter two come in The Bay‘s classic stripes, reminding him of his home and native land.

This year’s Secret Santa gifts take an astrological turn when wrapping up one of Modern Alchemy‘s Zodiac Collection candles from Queen East’s Far Away Eyes boutique. The newly opened petite shop tops our list for gift shopping, with these candles being amongst our favourite finds.

(feature as seen in FILLER Magazine)

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